The present invention relates to a filament based energy absorbing system and, more particularly, to a system which utilizes a plurality of inexpensive discrete filaments as the energy absorbing component of the system.
Energy absorbing systems are used in a variety of applications every day. These systems are utilized as guard rails at exit off ramps (typically bright yellow canisters filled with water or sand) and elevator bump stops (to absorb the impact of a falling elevator which snapped its cable). A common application for such systems is to incorporate them into automobiles, trucks and other vehicles to make the vehicles safer during accidents. The energy absorbing systems (or energy absorbing materials) are placed at various critical locations within the vehicles so that, in the event of an accident, the energy of the accident is primarily absorbed by the energy absorbing system and not by the occupants of the vehicle.
Typical placement for these energy absorbing systems (or energy absorbing materials), in the vehicle, is between the interior pillar post covers and the pillar posts of the vehicle, within instrument panels, under headliners, behind knee bolsters, etc. Additionally, energy absorbing systems are placed between the bumper covers (FACIA) and the structural components of the vehicle (e.g. the actual bumper, the bumper shocks, the frame, etc.).
The energy absorbing systems are often created from injection molded polypropylene xe2x80x9cegg cratexe2x80x9d type material. Additional materials used for currently available energy absorbing systems are foam and bubble wrap. Each of these panels has to be custom designed and fitted for each individual application. This results in expensive tooling and production costs, since these pieces tend to be very rigid and, therefore, each piece has to be molded into the shape of the object to which it is being attached. Since the interior of each vehicle model tends to be dissimilar from that of any other vehicle model, each vehicle model would require its own specific set of energy absorbing systems or panels. Since, as stated above, many of these individual systems are injection molded, there is an extensive cost associated with producing each of these systems, as each one requires a unique mold and expensive tooling to manufacture the piece. Further, foam-based energy absorbing systems, when compressed, act as a solid barrier and no longer absorb energy. Since the average vehicle interior utilizes many energy absorbing systems or panels, it is clearly discernable how the use of rigid, injection-molded energy absorbing systems is a costly proposition for the automobile manufacturer.
Wherefore, it is therefore an object to the present invention to overcome the shortcoming and drawbacks associated with prior art energy absorbing systems and provide an energy absorbing system which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system which does not require complex application specific tooling and intricate manufacturing procedures to produce the energy absorbing system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system which can be utilized in a variety of different applications without extensive modification.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system which utilizes a plurality of inexpensive discrete filaments as the energy absorbing components or elements of the system.
The present invention results from the realization that a truly effective energy absorbing system can be achieved by utilizing a plurality of inexpensive discrete energy absorbing filaments attached to a backing member, so that the energy absorbing filaments function as the energy absorbing components or elements of the system.
The present invention features a filament based energy absorbing system including a backing member having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a first plurality of energy absorbing filaments rigidly attached to the top surface of the planar backing member so that the first plurality of filaments extend or radiate away from the top surface.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system may include a second plurality of energy absorbing filaments rigidly attached to the bottom surface of the planar backing member so that the second plurality of filaments extend or radiate away from the bottom surface. The connection mechanism for attaching the plurality of filaments may be, for example, a heat staking process, a sonic welding process, a standard fastener, or an adhesive. The system may include a connection mechanism for attaching the filament based energy absorbing system to a base structure requiring energy absorption. The energy absorbing filaments may have either linear or non-linear energy absorption characteristics and have either the same or different cross-sectional diameters. The energy absorbing filaments may all have same axial length or may have different axial lengths. The backing member may be a rigid material or a flexible material. The rigid material may be chosen from the group consisting of, for example, steel, brass, aluminum, wood, polypropylene, polyester, nylon or polyvinyl chloride while the flexible material may be chosen from the group consisting of steel, brass, aluminum, polypropylene, polyester, nylon or polyvinyl chloride.
The backing member may include a first longitudinal edge; a second longitudinal edge; a first longitudinal wall section rigidly attached to the first longitudinal edge and positioned perpendicular to and extending or radiating away from the top surface; and a second longitudinal wall section rigidly attached to the second longitudinal edge and positioned perpendicular to and extending or radiating away from the top surface, wherein the backing member forms a U-shaped channel surrounding the first plurality of energy absorbing filaments. The first and second longitudinal wall sections may be crimped toward one another to rigidly attach the first plurality of energy absorbing filaments to the backing member. The first plurality of energy absorbing filaments may be constructed of a material chosen from the group consisting of, for example, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, bassine, tampico, horse hair, pig bristle, animal fiber, palmyra, brass and steel.
The present invention also features a filament based energy absorbing system including: a backing member having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first longitudinal edge, a second longitudinal edge, a first longitudinal wall section rigidly attached to the first longitudinal edge and positioned perpendicular to and extending or radiating away from the top surface, and a second longitudinal wall section rigidly attached to the second longitudinal edge and positioned perpendicular to and extending or radiating away from the top surface; and a first plurality of energy absorbing filaments positioned on the top surface of the planar backing member so that the first plurality of filaments extends or radiate away from the top surface; wherein the backing member forms a U-shaped channel surrounding the first plurality of energy absorbing filaments.
In a preferred embodiment, the first and second wall sections may be crimped toward each other to rigidly attach the first plurality of energy absorbing filaments to the backing member. The backing member may further include a third longitudinal wall section rigidly attached to the first longitudinal edge and positioned perpendicular to and extending radiating away from the bottom surface, and a fourth longitudinal wall section rigidly attached to the second longitudinal edge and positioned perpendicular to and extending or radiating away from the bottom surface. The system may further include a second plurality of energy absorbing filaments positioned on the bottom surface of the planar backing member so that the second plurality of filaments radiate away from the bottom surface. The third and fourth longitudinal wall sections may be crimped toward each other to rigidly attach the second plurality of energy absorbing filaments to the backing member. The backing member may be constructed of a material chosen from the group consisting of steel, brass, aluminum, wood, polypropylene, polyester, nylon or polyvinyl chloride. The first plurality of energy absorbing filaments may be constructed of a material chosen from the group consisting of, for example, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, bassine, tampico, horse hair, pig bristle, animal fiber or palmyra.